Bills' Bad Ass Race Report - 13 Year Old Kid Runs 50k Ultramarathon

Well my title will give away the surprise, but I will still tell the story from the start.

Saturday was Bills' Bad Ass 50k.  Why the name?  Well historically, runners (and especially ultrarunners) have put on low key, unsupported runs called Fat Ass runs.  Well this run was low key but instead of unsupported, it had terrific support, including a well-stocked aid station and a finisher's shirt!

Sponsors of the run were Chef Bill and Wild Bill, both ultrarunners themselves.

The run was to start at 8 AM.  Luke and I were up by 4:30 and spent an hour at church from 5AM to 6AM as part of the quarterly 24-hour prayer vigil.  We then got a few supplies (Muscle Milk) and got on the turnpike for the 45-minute drive to Peninsula.  We dropped off a few things at the aid station - I had volunteered to bring some water and bananas - and then headed down the road to the Church In The Valley where Roy Heger was directing us to park.

Luke had a great cross counrty season with a 2-mile PR of 11:55 and also ran a 19:59 5k last month.  He has continued his training of about 20-25 miles per week, and was planning to pace me for 1 of the 6 loops (5 miles each) that make up the Bills' Bad Ass course.  I was kind of hoping for some company & encouragement later in the run, but Luke wisely realized that I would be pretty slow at the end and chose to run the first loop so that he could actually run it.

We waited in the car for a bit, as it was still chilly (29) at the start. Eventually we wandered over to the start and visited with a few people.  Chef Bill stood on top of his car with a megaphone and gave a few last-minute instructions.  Then as everyone was still pretty much just standing around, he said, "Ready?  Go!"

The 5-mile loop starts at the parking lot by the Everett Road Covered Bridge and follows the Riding Run trail and the Perkins trail.  This course is also part of the Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run, but in the BR100 event they run the opposite way as we ran today.  Here is a video tour of the course prepared for the BR100.

Luke and I were actually standing off to the side by the bathrooms when the run started, so we didn't get off to a very good start.  Not that it matters at all in a 50k!  Here we are coming through the Covered Bridge at the start of the run.

We ran together for the first loop, chatting a little bit, and also sharing gloves.  Luke hadn't brought any so we traded mine back and forth every mile.  We were each wearing our Garmin 305's so we got a little chirp at each mile split.  As you can see, Luke was wearing the gloves in this picture.

During the first loop, Luke asked how far he could run, and if he could run the whole 50k.  I told him that wouldn't be a good idea, and suggested that he run 2 laps.  "Then if you really feel good, stop, drink some gatorade, refuel, walk the uphills like a good ultrarunner, and if you run 3 laps, that would really be a long run for you."  Little did I know!

There were 4 water crossings in each loop.  None were very deep, if you were careful you could tiptoe from rock to rock and keep your feet dry.  Here is a shot of Jeannine Nicholson & Ladd Clifford making their way across.

As we neared the end of the first loop, Luke let me know he planned to keep running.  I told him he could run at his own pace, and I would go on ahead at my own pace.  Our first loop split was 48:19.  I timed myself in and out of the aid-station, so did Luke.  We spent 39 seconds at the 5-mile aid station, and we were on our way.  All I had was some Gatorade.

For most of the 2nd and 3rd laps, I ran in a small group with Chris Basich and Mike Manozzi. Here you can see just my head, behind Chris, as we navigated the trails.  I took a tumble right around 9 miles, I was looking ahead for a good way to go around a sloppy mudhole and tripped over a root.  I tried to roll and somersault onto my left shoulder, as I learned during Running With Scissors that it doesn't help to try to catch yourself with your hands.  Chris commented that it was a "Pretty good fall!"

Mike is actually a champion racewalker, known as the Italian Stallion.  He's got a great attitude and should have a great future!  Here you can see just my left arm with Mike in the background.  My 2nd loop split was 47:38, just about 1/2 minute faster than the first time around.  I spent 1:21 at the aid station, having some Gatorade, Coke, and Muscle Milk.  I also had a few Swedish Fish candies, but they were really hard and chewy and stuck to my teeth.  I dropped my gloves in my backpack and headed out.

Much to my surprise, as I was heading out, Luke was coming in to the aid station, having completed his 10-miles.  His 2nd loop was 50:39, not too far behind me!  He didn't look to be struggling so I figured he would probaby go ahead and run the 15 miles.

My third loop was much the same as the 2nd, but a little slower.  And I realized that I was almost half done and had only had liquids.  My 3rd loop was 49:06 and I spent 2:15 at the 15-mile aid station, I had an orange Gu that really hit the spot!  More Gatorade and Coke.  And I took off my winter hat, trading it for a baseball cap.  Much to my surprise, as I was headind out, in came Luke, finishing his 15 miles, his longest run ever.  Great job kid!  His 3rd loop split was 54:31.

Now I have to admit a few thing, specifically my lack of resting in preparation for this run.  I did my longest run ever, the Run With Scissors Double Marathon, just 2 weeks ago.  Also, I donated blood on Thursday.  So my body wasn't really ready for this, and during the 4th loop I started really feeling it.  Also at this point I realized I hadn't taken any Endurolytes.  My first run with Endurolytes was the RWS, and I really think they helped my legs to not cramp up.  But around 17 miles, my muscles were definitely starting to feel fatigued.  I added a little more walking, mostly on the uphills, and my overall pace slowed by a couple minutes per mile.

I got back to the aid station for the 20 mile mark, my 4th split was 1:01:07.  Here is a picture of just some of the wide variety of food and drink available.  I had another Hammer Gel, a cookie, some Endurolytes, Coke, Gatorade, & Muscle Milk.  Anything I could to add some energy.

I looked around for Luke, expecting him to be around the aid station to cheer my last 3 loops, but I didn't see him.  I asked Chef Bill, "Did my kid take off on another lap?"

"Yeah, he stripped down, changed his shirt, and headed out again," was the surprising reply.  Oh well, there wasn't much I could do about it now.  I did have a blister issue on my inner right heel, same as in RWS, so I changed socks and shoes.  I was at the 20-mile aid station for a long time, 8:16.  As I was heading out, here came Luke in his familiar yellow shirt.  "Walk a lap if you need, be done, whatever" was my advice.

"I'm not being done!" he shouted back.  His split for the 4th loop was 1:00:31.  Little did I know but he had actually gained a little on me during that lap.

My 5th loop was a struggle.  I walked the uphills.  I walked the downhills where the footing was less than perfect.  Even on the flats, I used a pattern of run 5 mintues - walk 1 minute.  In my mind, I was resting and getting ready to push harder on the final loop.

As I was coming in to the 25-mile aid station, I had the biggest surprise of the day.  Luke caught me from behind!  He had only spent 5 minutes in the aid station, so my lead was cut from 9 minutes to 6 minutes right there.  Our 21st & 22nd miles were about the same speed, then he gained about a minute each on the 23rd & 24th miles.  And the 25th mile, mostly downhill, was the biggest difference as Luke gained over 3 minutes during that 1 mile.  The loop time for me was 1:09:40, compared to Luke's 1:04:00.

We both had completed 25 miles, and at this point any thought of pushing the final loop left my mind.  I only wanted to enjoy the final loop with my son!  We took about 4 minutes in the 25-mile aid station.  The temperature had risen and I decided to carry water for the final loop.  Someone from the aid station offered Luke a handheld bottle also, but he didn't want one.  We would be together and could share, neither of us is used to having water during our training runs so refueling every 5 miles is more than we are used to.


We walked together for several minutes of the 6th loop before deciding to run again. We shared stories of runs, views, and falls. Many people had asked Luke his age, and several had invited him to move to their town and run cross country for their school, including 5-time state champion Peninsula Woodridge.


Six 5-mile loops is only 30 miles, so to get the extra mile, at the end, we needed to cross the road, go up a hill with a steep set of stairs, continue up the hill until we find a basket of candy, pick up a pack of Smarties, and return to the aid station with the candy to prove we made it all the way to the top.

Near the end of the 6th loop, Luke dashed ahead on a downhill.  I became stuck behind a pack of runners that we were lapping on a narrow section of trail, watching Luke get farther and farther ahead.  I got around them as the trail widened and we approached the aid station.  I expected Luke to stop for one more drink before attacking the final climb, but he circled the pole and headed for the stairs.  My 6th loop was 1:07:37, he had gained 30 seconds on me.

I gave Chef Bill a look of dismay, tossed my empty water bottle towards my pile of stuff, and followed in pursuit.  My strength enabled me to catch Luke on the stairs, and we ran the top section together, hoping that the basket would come soon.  We met a few runners headed back down.  Finally there it was.  We each took some Smarties (last year it was Dum Dum's) and headed back.

We encountered a few runners still heading up, and I showed my candy and told the same joke, "Sorry, I got the last pack."

When we hit the stairs again, Luke seemed to be almost skipping down them while I was descending much more gingerly.  Luke created a gap between us then, to make matters worse, I had to wait for a couple cars before I could cross the road that last time.

Luke finished 24th out of 89 entrants (78 finishers) in 6:12.  I was one place behind in 6:13.

Conventional wisdom is that kids aren't supposed to run long distances.  But why?  The major worry seems to be overuse injuries such as stress fractures.

This would be a result of training for long races, not just of running them.  And Luke certainly didn't train for this!  Also, we worry about the repeated pounding on the hard surfaces.  Luke's 50k was run entirely on the trails of the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  This is a nice soft forgiving surface.  I think he's gonna be ok!  He'll probably take a few days off.

Not me though, I've got to improve so he doesn't beat me again!

Thanks to Chef Bill and Wild Bill for an event that I will remember for a lifetime!  Thanks also to Laurie Colon and Mark Shelton for the pictues you see here!  And thanks to you if you read this whole thing!

Run With Scissors Double-Marathon Race Report

Ever since volunteering at the Ottowa Point aid station around mile 39 of the Burning River 100 Miler, I've been thinking I want to try a 100 mile run  myself.  Of course my longest run so far had been the 2010 Green Jewel 50k (31 miles).  So I had a ways to go.

The next step was to run a 50 miler and the Run With Scissors Double-Marathon seemed to be the right race at the right time.  It was scheduled for several weeks after my fall marathon.  And after running a disappointing 3:59 at the Towpath, I told more than one person, "If all I can do is run slow, I just need to find a longer race."

I didn't do any specific training after (or before) the marathon, other than to run my long runs slowly.  And I did buy a Black Diamond Sprinter headlamp and a pair of North Face trail shoes.

The race was in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park starting at the Ledges shelter, where I had never been.  So I went on Saturday afternoon to the packet pick-up, and discussed the trail and the drop-bag strategy with the race director.

I had originally planned to have 3 drop bags, one at Pine Hollow (miles 4, 23, 30, & 49), one at the Covered Bridge (miles 11, 16, 27, and 42), and one at the Start/Finish (also mile 26) at Ledges Shelter.  But after talking things over with Roy, I decided to skip the Pine Hollow bag.  I also packed lighter, not putting extra shoes in either bag (I did leave a few pair in the car).

For hydration, I chose to start without carrying any water.  I had my handheld water bottle at the Covered Bridge so I could pick it up when necessary, and also my belt at Ledges so that if I felt I was really struggling I could add it for the second loop.

The start was scheduled for 5:00 AM, with a temperature around 40.  I chose to wear shorts, my CEP compression socks, a long sleeve shirt, a short sleeve shirt, a warm hat, and my GoreTex mittens.  I arrived around 4:45 to find that the start was being delayed 30 minutes due to an accident on Truxell Road.

Well the time came, final announcements were made, and the race was started.  Straight across a grassy field and onto the trail.  Two packs of 3 started quickly but other than that I was near the front.  I seemed to be moving along ok, and right as my Garmin beeped for mile 1 (9:21), I tripped over a root and went straight down.  I knew my right knee and my hands took most of the force.

I want to add that I don't trust the accuracy of the Garmin on twisting, turning, climbing and descending wooded trails.  It did measure a little short but I'm confident that the couse was not short.

Anyways, I quickly got back up and running again.  But amazingly, less than a mile later, I fell again!  This time I was a little more prepared and I tried to roll or summer-sault towards my left shoulder.  As the guy behind me stepped over or around me, I remarked out loud, "Well by the end of this thing I'll learn how to fall!"

Again I got back up and resumed running, this time taking more care to lift my feet.  My slow pace has evolved into a very efficient stride where my feet barely come off the ground.  This may not be the best running style for trail runs in the dark.  My 3rd mile split showed 8:43, my fastest of the day!  Still I was passed by a few runners in this section, including a guy dressed as Robin Hood who I mistook for an elf!

Around 4 miles, after crossing the Sound Of Music hills, we reached the Pine Hollow Aid station, still in the dark.  By this time I had realized that the downhills were really hurting my legs, jamming my quads as I tried to control my pace down the hills.  Moreso than in any other run.

At Pine Hollow, I drank some gatorade, some coke, and had a cookie or 2.  Several runners came and left while I was refueling, and I knew already that if I didn't focus on getting in and out of the aid stations more quickly, it would add time to my day.

As we left I found myself at the back of a group of 7 other runners, including a guy wearing a woman's white Badwater running dress and sleeves.  (It was Halloween).  I followed them up and down the hills and across the streams of the Wetmore trail to the Covered Bridge aid station.  Fastest mile of this section was 9:01, we had covered about 11 miles in about 1:50, or an average of around 10:00 per mile.

At this aid station each runner got a pair of plastic school-scissors and instructions to cut a page out of a book that we would find with a skeleton in the next loop.  I took more Gatorade, more Coke, and a Hammer Gel.

On to the Perkins trail.  More hills, more trails, and the first bits of walking the uphills.  Fastest mile of this section was 10:18 and I was back at about 2:54.  The sun was up and I left the headlamp in my drop bag.  Still didn't pick up my water bottle.  I did eat some Candy Corn!

Best thing about this next section was meeting up with my old friend Terry Hawk.  Terry and I trained together a bit in the early 90's, before I moved to Michigan.  It was great to see him again and to catch up on each other's lives.  He did all of the running catching-up though, and after 3 or 4 miles, I was falling behind.  Fastest mile of this section was 10:15.

Shortly after Terry disappeared, I felt like I had some grit in my shoe from the water crossings.  I stopped, took off my right shoe and sock, and found a blister the size of my pinkie knuckle on the side (inside) of my heel.  What a strange place for a blister.

I decided at that point that I would change shoes, and was sorry that they were back in the car and not in a drop-bag at the finish.  That would be an extra couple-hundred yards to travel, each way.

Anyways, on to the Pine Hollow Aid Station around mile 23.5.  Dan Horvath, Ladd Clifford, and crew had a great set-up.  My aid-station stops were getting slower as I looked for different things to eat.  I had some sort of power-bar ball and also a quarter grilled cheese.  Still drinking gatorade & coke, a couple cups of each at every aid station.

Ran a couple more slow miles, saw Terry heading back out, and knew I must be close.  And indeed, there was the marathon finish.  I had travelled 26.2 miles in a leisurely 4:34, a pace of about 10:30 per mile.  I changed shoes, changed into a dry shirt, re-pinned my number, and refueled, including drinking a Muscle Milk I had brought from home.  15 minutes later I was up and running again.  This transition took WAY too long.  But the good thing was that stopping and not re-starting didn't even cross my mind!

On the way back to Pine Hollow I tried to run faster and more free down the hills, and much to my surprise, it felt great!  I actually caught a guy named Eric.  Before he left, he remarked that "my legs came back to life."  I did run a 10:49 in this section.  Refuled again, chased Eric down and caught him on the next section. 

My 5th mile of the second loop was 11:12, actually faster than the 11:30 I ran for the same mile of the first loop.

At every aid station I had 1 or 2 Endurolyte capsules.  These are salt & electrolytes, meant to help me avoid cramping.  I never tried them before this race, but I didn't cramp at all, so I guess they work!

About a mile to the Covered Bridge, I hid a bad patch.  I walked a bit on the flats, I was really feeling worn out.  I had been running for almost 7 hours and had covered about 37 miles.  This was already the most miles and the most time I had ever run!  And I had another half-marathon plus to go!

When I finally got to the Covered Bridge aid station, the great workers helped me get my handheld bottle out of my drop bag and filled it with Gatorade.  I took this along with me on the Perkins trail.  They didn't give me any scissors this time, they probably could tell by looking at me that I may not have had the strength to carry them.

This loop was slow, walking on all of the uphills, with my fastest mile being 14:01.  I was passed by a guy who told me he had gotten his 2nd wind, and he encouraged me that I would get mine too.  Unfortunately that was about 10 miles ago for me.

But once I finished this loop and knew I was on my way back, I did start to feel better.  I thanked the aid workers and told them to send my drop bag on the next truck back to Ledges.  I wasn't sure how many were behind me but I didn't think I was last.

At this point I did some math and thought, if I could average 12-minute miles I could still finish under 10 hours.  I did run a 12:20 but then somehow I hit another bat patch and had my slowest mile, 19:08.  Soon I had adjusted my goal, thinking that 12's would get me to 10:15 and I could subtract the 15 minutes I took in transition and claim that the running part was under 10.

But none of my next few miles were even under 14.  Still I kept plugging along and caught a guy.  I had just been wondering why we even ran the 2nd marathon, since we stayed pretty much in the same order as the first marathon!

At the final Pine Hollow aid station, I tried to take it quicker, as if I was racing.  Dan said, "You're looking good, you're almost done."  I replied, "Don't lie." and Dan said back, "You're almost done."  That made me chuckle!

I tried to pick up the pace on the way in, my watch tells me the last mile was about 12:29.  My final time was 10:26:52 on my watch, and I was 17th of 25.  There were another 55 runners in the single marathon, and my 4:34 would have placed me 14th.  So I figure out of 80 runners, only 29 beat me.  Not bad for my first race over 50k!

I have more to say but it is getting late so the observations will have to wait until later.

Skeleton Run 5k 2010 Race Report (Amherst)

The weather was almost perfect, certainly as nice as you could ask for in late October for a 5k.  Luke and I warmed up by walking / jogging the last 2/3 of the course.  Add in some long sprint-outs and I had about 2 miles in when I got to the start line.

None of the kids (besides Luke) came along so this is the first year in a long time I've been able to warm-up properly, usually I would be watching the kids races.

I was in the top 10 from the start.  The course goes out about a quarter mile and turns left.  I caught just a couple guys that went out too hard.  My mile split was 5:29, just about right.  Josh Park, a local 8th grader caught me in the first mile.  We ran together through the park trail section.

2 guys in front of us started to go left at the split and Josh called out "right", very impressive and self-assured for a kid of his age.

Ben Spurlock, the Rock N Roll Runner caught us before 2, Josh went on with him and I fell back.  My 2-mile split was 11:24 so that mile was 5:55.  This is a little slow but it is a rolling section of the race with some turns.

Another guy caught me on Lincoln, I passed him back on the way into the track, but then Don Henderson passed me right at the line. I wondered, shouldn't he be running high school cross country still?  He is in the Hermes Road Race Series and I'm sure that him passing me will affect my place in the standings.

My time of 18:03 was my 2nd best time of the year, and a nice come-back from the Towpath debacle 2 weeks ago. Third mile was 6:03, I sure thought I picked it up a little to finish but apparently not enough to matter.

I grabbed a banana, bagel, and some water and did a 2-mile cool down before the awards.

My overall place was 9th of 559, my age group place was 2nd of 28 men 40-44.  Complete results are online.  Next race is the Run With Scissors double-marathon on 10/31!